The holidays are a time of year that conjure up a vast range of thoughts and images. For some, it is time with beloved family. For others, it is a quiet time of reflection. And for some, there is sadness associated with this time of year, maybe due to the loss of a loved one, seasonal anxiety, or perhaps a health diagnosis. In many cases, spirituality, faith, and religion are at the forefront as multiple faiths celebrate significant religious events during the month of December.

 Although the focus on faith can seem strongest this time of year, Nazareth Home carries on a legacy of spirituality, mission, hospitality, and connection year-round. It is very much at the center of what we provide when welcoming a new elder to our community. The pastoral care team works closely with each elder to help establish faith-based opportunities, if they wish. Such opportunities might include attending private prayer groups, mass, ecumenical services, and more. These always cater to the individual wishes and interests of each elder so that the experience is personal and meaningful to them.

“Although Nazareth Home is Catholic-affiliated, people of all faiths are welcome here,” said Mary Haynes, Nazareth Home president/CEO. “Having a pastoral care presence is one way we focus on creating a healthy and positive experience for patients and elders in hopes they can explore the joy of living through their spirituality and faith. Hosting a spiritual presence is at the heart of our person-centered care.”

In fact, there are many different faiths represented at Nazareth Home. Our pastoral care team on each campus works closely with elders and their family members, regardless of their religious affiliation or faith – even those who identify themselves as non-religious. In many cases, the team members simply offer the gift of time, an open ear, and a caring presence. This outreach includes our employees, too.

“Pastoral care, in the broadest sense, is about helping each individual here find what brings them to a peaceful place – whatever that might be,” said Bridget Bunning, Nazareth Home director of pastoral care & mission. “We accompany people both during their times of duress and joy. And we respect everyone’s personal path and how they wish to include it as part of their daily lives.”

There is something at Nazareth Home for everyone who wishes to include faith or spirituality as part of their life’s journey.

The Kentucky Association of Health Care Facilities/Kentucky Center for Assisted Living (KAHCF/KCAL) recently honored Nazareth Home with a prestigious 2023 Best of Kentucky in Nursing and Rehabilitation Award at their annual banquet. The Best of Kentucky – Nursing and Rehabilitation honorees are among an elite group of leaders and must possess a CMS star rating of four or higher to apply for the award. Across Kentucky, 35 organizations were recognized, including both of Nazareth Home’s facilities, with the distinction.

In addition, Nazareth Home’s Director of Clinical Services, Kim Hobson, was recognized individually with a Leadership Award for her contributions to Nazareth Home and the long-term care field.

“We remain focused on helping elders explore the joy of living, and recognition like this confirms that by creating a supportive environment of person-centered care where aging adults can thrive, we are accomplishing our objectives,” said Mary Haynes, president/CEO of Nazareth Home. “This award is for all of our employees who work selflessly and diligently to make a difference each day in the lives that they touch.”

Long-term care providers attended KAHCF/KCAL’s Annual Meeting & Expo, where the awards were announced on Nov. 16. They attended general sessions addressing strategies to cope with stress on the job, hiring and retaining quality staff, and regulatory issues. On Nov. 15, KCAL held its “KCAL Day” for Assisted Living Communities. More than 100 vendors exhibited during the expo showcasing the latest innovations to providing quality care.“We are honored to recognize these deserving providers at the top of their class,” said KAHCF/KCAL interim president Ruby Jo Lubarsky. “During a tumultuous time of staffing shortages, our providers have faced these challenges with innovation and positivity. Each winner and their team have kept their residents’ quality of life at the heart of their work.”

Nazareth Home has once again been named to U.S. News & World Report’s list of Best Nursing Homes for its Short-Term Rehabilitation and Long-Term Care. The designation places Nazareth Home’s facilities among the elite 19% of skilled nursing facilities that earned a “High Performing” rating, the highest possible achievement. In addition, both Nazareth Home campuses, Highlands and Clifton, are rated among the “top 6” nursing homes in Louisville. Each location earned a High-Performing Rating for short-term rehab and long-term care.

For its 2024 report, U.S. News rated more than 15,000 nursing homes on patient and resident outcomes, such as infection rates; staffing levels; potentially inappropriate reliance on antipsychotic drugs; health inspection results; and other indicators of quality.

“This honor is a reflection of our community of collaborators who work closely together to enhance the wellbeing of the elders we serve,” said Mary Haynes, Nazareth Home president/CEO. “I am profoundly grateful for the diligence and commitment that are recognized by this distinction – knowing that our teams work to ensure that the elders’ quality of life and care are best-in-class examples of how the aged deserve to live at this stage in their lives.”

Best Nursing Homes ratings are based on U.S. News’s in-depth analysis of publicly available data, including information that is not factored into star ratings by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Unlike the star ratings, the U.S. News ratings recognize that patients undergoing short-term rehabilitation have very different needs from those who require longer-term care.

“U.S. News’ Best Nursing Homes ratings give patients, senior residents, their families and caregivers an objective assessment of quality, to help them choose the facility that best fits their individual needs,” said Ben Harder, chief of health analysis and managing editor at U.S. News. “Nursing homes that have earned the recognition of U.S. News have a track record of achieving better outcomes for patients and residents, and maximizing the amount of care they receive from nurses and other staff.”

To calculate the Best Nursing Homes ratings, U.S. News evaluated each nursing home’s performance using a variety of quality measures obtained from CMS. The U.S. News methodology factors data such as resident care, safety and outcomes. Both short- and long-term ratings include data on nurse staffing, use of antipsychotic drugs, and success in preventing ER and hospital visits. The long-term care rating also includes measures of whether a home changed ownership and how well they were staffed on weekends.

Nazareth Home recently finalized an agreement with Toi Labs to purchase and install a TrueLoo® smart toilet seat in each resident room of its personal care program (Maria Hall). This cutting-edge technology is another example of how Nazareth Home is continually tapping into innovative ideas and products to improve the lives of elders on its two Louisville campuses. TrueLoo serves as an early screening/detection device for illness or underlying conditions.

These smart toilet seats were first piloted at Nazareth Home’s Highlands Campus nearly a year ago in our memory care neighborhood (Charity Court), making Nazareth Home the very first long-term care facility in the state to utilize this new toileting technology.

How do these toilet seats work? The TrueLoo is a toilet seat that provides automated real-time data collection and analysis, offering insights into residents’ wellness. It non-invasively monitors intake levels, stool and urine contents, and other vital health metrics without any burden to the user. These insights can point to early warning signs of abnormalities that have been shown to be associated with chronic conditions, which can progress into more significant health issues.

The smart toilet seat will be helpful in identifying abnormal waste patterns in residents that often indicate issues with intake and may help reduce the risk and impact of certain chronic diseases or conditions. According to Toi Labs, TrueLoo helps reduce falls by 32%. Additionally, TrueLoo eliminates the need for nursing staff to observe, interpret, remember, and document stool and urine eliminations. This allows staff to focus more time on caring for residents without missing important health data. Providing daily and weekly reports of bowel and bladder patterns enables early interventions by Nazareth Home staff, which may reduce emergency room visits and hospitalizations.

Nazareth Home president and CEO Mary Hayes said the new technology offers a win-win for the elders, their families, team members, and the entire organization.

“Upon admission, our nursing team manually monitors the resident’s toileting very closely for the first few days. This innovative bathroom technology now automates that process while adding the crucial element of privacy, and provides early detection of meaningful changes, reduces human reporting errors, and enables us to adjust the individual’s care in real time.”

Nazareth Home, known for our mission to serve elders with innovative, person-centered care, is continuously seeking new ways to proactively improve wellness for the elders who live on our two campuses. This initiative marks another significant effort toward integrating technology into our high-quality care, enhancing staff support, and fostering a nurturing and comfortable living environment.

Nazareth Home, in collaboration with Pallitus Health Partners, has expanded its HELD program to its Clifton Campus this month after successfully implementing it at the Highlands Campus nearly two years ago. HELD, which stands for Helping Embrace Life Decisions, is a complex disease management program that supports residents who want to manage the symptoms of advanced illnesses and chronic complex conditions.

HELD brings together multiple experts in the fields of geriatrics and complex disease management to develop an individualized plan that focuses on the unique healthcare needs of the Nazareth Home resident. It emphasizes closer monitoring of patients, engaging earlier in symptom control so individuals can discuss their goals and options sooner, and identifying a meaningful healthcare plan that improves their quality of life for a longer period of time.

The program includes a team of experts, including staff members from both organizations, along with Dr. Tyler McQueen, a geriatric medicine specialist with Pallitus Health Partners. Dr. McQueen meets with Nazareth Home residents on a regular basis concerning quality of life decisions during their critical time of need.

“This unique offering through the HELD program allows us to expand and evolve the high-quality care we provide to elders and their family members,” said Ashley Cochran, Executive Director of Nazareth Home’s Clifton Campus. “Each day, our focus is on helping the elders live their best life while they are with us, and this new program aligns closely with that goal in mind.”

Pallitus Health Partners offers comprehensive palliative care for patients with serious illness in Kentucky and Indiana. Specialized services include chronic symptom and medication management, disease education, and care coordination.